Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-02-25
Three Mysterious Bass.

another funny thing happened to
me nthe other day, this time up at
Lackawaxen," said John Gilbert, the
travelling g%roceryman. II was wait
ing there for q train, and, as by no way
that l could figure it could it get there
under three hours, l walked over to
gaze on the Delaware. l strolled up
and down the river bank a while, and
then noticed a canal that crossed the
river by a big viaduct. l walked up
the canal bank and watched tho boats
go by. They were loaded with coal.
Thirsting for information, l finally said
to a boy who came along On a mule,
wearing his fathers trousers rolled up
to his knees:
Where is this coal going to, my
little manp"
To market, pop!' he replied.
''Then | watched more boats, and
not being able to still my longing for
knowledge. by and by l said to a man
who was working the tiller of one of
the boats:
How many tons DO you carryP'
AS NANNY, begorra, as any other
boat that Rooms this detch!'
"Surfeited with information l re-
turned to the river. | walked up and
down, and presently | saw a pine peg,
which was driven in the sand near the
water. There was a string to it.
Wonder what that is?' l said to
myself.
mot being able to answer the cues
ton l went and pulled the peg ont of
the sand. Tie String came out of the
water pretty hard, and | found that
three big black bass had got fast on it
in some way through the gills. There
was no mistake about it. There was
the peg, there was the string, and there
were the bass, aliye and kicking.
Well l says, that's certainly the
funniest thing | ever did see.'
Il had heard of cells travelling over
land from one pond to another; perch
that climb trees were old ac%quaintapces
of mine; catfish that swear at you like
troopers when you take them from the
hook l had seen and heard: But bass
that could come out of the water, string
themselves like these, shoye the peg in
the sand, and get back in the water
again, was more than l could explain.
when | go back home and tell this
l says, people won't believe me-, and
then I'll feel bad.
$50 1 looked around to see if there
was any one that could enlighten me
on this curious circumstance. l saw
no one but a pious-looking old gentle
man, who was fishing along the river
quite a way below. AS he was SO in
tent on his sport that he seemed obi
yious to all around him, l didn't like
to disturb him in his gentle recreation,
and so walked back to the hotel and
told the landlord that he might cook
the bass for my supper. He did, and
they were good. After supper | went
down to get the train. There was a
pious-looking, white-haircd old gentle
man there, with 4 tishpole on his
shoulder. He seemed to be very mad.
AS | O on the train | heard him say:
Eyes, sir, by the jumping jimminy!
Three old seekers, and I'll give Sc to
know what III became OF EN-!
That nan amt as pious as he
looks. | said as the train pulled out.
And then the thing struck me all OF a
sudden. and [ said I'd bet anything
that the %whitc-haired old man had
found some bass that had strung them
selves lust as mine had, and then he'd
zone and lost EN- some way or other.
. ..S,v. don't it beat lhc oid Harry
how these funny things will keep hap
,,an;no TO me2''-M. J. San.